Road to the Intelligent Community of the Year

On April 24 and 25, Grey County has the opportunity to show the world why it deserves to be named the 2017 Intelligent Community of the Year. Intelligent Communities Forum (ICF) Co-Founder Louis Zacharilla will be touring the region to see firsthand what makes this a connected county.

“Grey County has been a center of innovation for the past few years thanks to strong municipal leadership and forward-thinking individuals and businesses,” said Savanna Myers, Manager of Economic Development with Grey County. “This tour is our opportunity to put our best foot forward and show the ICF that Grey County deserves to be the Intelligent Community of the Year.”

Over the two days, Mr. Zacharilla will take in some of the most notable projects and initiatives from around the county. This includes stops at Georgian College’s marine training and research facility, LaunchPad Youth Activity & Technology Centre, the Bluewater District School Board’s specialized high skills major programs and more.

As part of the tour, Grey County is hosting a special event for community and business leaders. Mr. Zacharilla will give a keynote speech about the ICF and learn more about local initiatives, such as the Western Ontario Wardens’ Caucus’ SWIFT project.

“There are just too many things to try and see in a short two-day tour. The keynote event is our best chance to tell the ICF about projects we have planned as we continue to grow our regional prosperity.”

The ICF decides the Intelligent Community of the Year by scoring each community on six key indicators: broadband, knowledge workforce, innovation, digital equality, sustainability and advocacy. Grey County provided detailed examples of each indicator in their application to the Top 7 Intelligent Communities earlier this year.

“Being an intelligent community isn’t just about having the most fibre in the ground. It’s about understanding the unique challenges in your community and finding smart solutions that benefit everyone and help the community prosper in the broadband economy,” said Myers.

Grey County has played a leading role pursing the Intelligent Community of the Year award, but the efforts wouldn’t be possible without the innovative work of local municipalities, businesses, groups and individuals.

“Grey County deserves to be on the top of the list for Intelligent Community of the Year. We are far from the largest community on the list, but amazing things are happening right here in our own backyard,” said Grey County Warden Alan Barfoot.

Grey County is competing with six other communities:

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Taoyuan, Taiwan

Chiayi City, Taiwan

Ipswich, Queensland, Australia

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Moscow, Russia

Facts

About the Intelligent Communities Forum (ICF)

The Intelligent Communities Forum is a global network of cities and regions helping communities use information and communication technology to create inclusive prosperity and tackle social and governance challenges that enrich their quality of life. www.intelligentcommunity.org

The Intelligent Community of the Year award is presented annually by the ICF to the community that scores the highest on six key indicators: broadband, knowledge workforce, innovation, digital equality, sustainability and advocacy.

The Intelligent Community Award is broken into three phases: Smart 21, Top7 and Intelligent Community of the Year.

Grey County was named to the Top7 Intelligent Communities of 2017 on February 9, 2017.

The Top7 Communities of 2017 include:

Grey County, Ontario pop. 92,568

Edmonton, Alberta pop. 899,447

Moscow, Russia pop. 12,330,126

Melbourne, Australia pop. 128,980

Ipswich, Australia pop. 190,000

Chiayi City, Taiwan pop. 269,992

Taoyuan, Taiwan pop. 2,132,854

The most recent winners of the Intelligent Community of the Year award include: Montreal, Quebec; Columbus, Ohio; Toronto, Ontario; Taichung City, Taiwan; and Riverside, California.

Grey County’s Application Highlights

The Shared Purchasing Service Consortium of Grey-Bruce is a partnership of local government, schools and hospitals combining resources to create a broadband network. Grey County has committed $1 Million to support network improvements in partnership with the private sector.

County of Grey

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